What? Another instance of Metro Government, by way of Open Records Coordinator Dee Allen, withholding public information regarding Louisville Metro Animal Services? Again?

Take a look at a records request made by an individual:

Time Frame For Requested Records: 05/01/2012 – 08/01/2012

Preference on Review of Records: PDF Files Email (If Systems Allow)

Additional Information: Please provide all information for the dogs that went to rescue between the dates given including the following,

Provide ID number, breed, intake date and any other information that is available.

Provide the date of which the animal went to rescue.

Provide specifically the name of the rescue the dog went to and the rescue location.

Doesn’t seem too complicated, does it?

Of course not. Unless we’re talking about Metro Government. And then it’s a nightmare.

Take a look at the response:

In response to your open records request, the Metro Animal Services Department staff has provided a copy (attached) of the records containing ID number, breed, the date of which the animal went to rescue, and in some cases, the name of the rescue organization receiving the dog. These are the records that are available in a standard report format, which is what is provided for under the provisions of the Kentucky Open Records Act.

If you wish to obtain the other “information” components of your request below, you may make an appointment with MAS staff to review individual records and either make note of the information during your review or request copies of those records for a standard cost of $.10/page. You may contact Adam Hamilton at the email copied here or 361-1318 to make arrangements for your inspection of additional records on site.

By providing copies of and/or access to all records requested, we will consider this request complete.

Dee Allen
Open Records Coordinator
Louisville Metro Office of Management and Budget

You catch that bit in bold? It’s Dee Allen claiming that the Kentucky Revised Statutes allow a government agency to withhold public information from an open records request merely because it can’t be put in a “standard report format.”

While the Office of the Attorney General says, “[a] public agency is not required to compile information or to create a document that does not already exist in response to an open records request.”, it says nothing about not providing information that isn’t already in a “standard report format.” If the information is available as a document – and these data are – they have to be released.

Yet another attempt by Greg Fischer’s folks to make it more difficult for public information to be accessed. That’s more of his promised transparency, we assume.

Possibility City!